Tornadoes of 2017 (Anon) 2
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks that occurred in 2017, primarily (but not entirely) in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally, particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season. Some tornadoes also take place in Europe, e. g. in the United Kingdom, Poland or in Germany. There were 1,692 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in 2017, with 126 confirmed fatalities. Nine other fatalities have been reported elsewhere in the world: three in France, two each in Bangladesh and Poland and one each in Russia and China. With 1,692 confirmed tornadoes, 2017 ranked as the second most active US tornado season on record (besides 2011 & 2008 with 1,692 confirmed tornadoes as well); only 2016 has had more tornadoes confirmed with 1,989. The US state of Kansas received the most tornadoes in the United States in 2017 with 265. Synopsis The winter months of January and February (usually a fairly quiet time of year for severe weather) were unusually active in 2017 in the US, with several major outbreaks taking place. The first major outbreak took place on the week of January 4. February saw a new record for tornadoes in that month, with one of the most prolific outbreaks in recent years (and the deadliest since 2008) taking place on February 23, and three smaller outbreaks also taking place later in the month. March was also fairly active, but not at record levels. Steady activity in the first week of the month, an outbreak on March 22 and additional activity at month's end were mostly responsible. April was also active, which was due to steady tornado activity throughout the month despite the fact there were no prolific outbreaks. From the beginning of late-March until mid-June, severe weather was frequent and widespread across the US. Beginning with a significant outbreak on March 22, there were many major outbreaks over that period with smaller outbreaks occurring almost daily. Over that six-week period, well over 700 tornadoes were reported in the US, with many destructive tornadoes over that time frame. The worst tornado events were on March 22, April 26-27, May 2–12, May 30 and June 16. After that, activity cooled down somewhat to a more normal pace in the second half of June and into July with several smaller severe weather events. The summer and early fall months from July to September ran somewhat above average in the US; Tropical cyclones and their remnants were mostly responsible from mid-August through mid-September, particularly from Tropical Storm Franklin, Hurricane Katia and Hurricane Maria which each resulted in large numbers of tornadoes (mostly weak). Activity dropped significantly in October, with below normal activity and no major outbreaks. The relative inactivity continued into November, which was also below normal. Activity returned to a above normal rate in December, with most of the activity in late-month. Overseas, the months of July and August were quite active in Europe though, with several significant tornado events, including at least one major outbreak. NOAA concluded there "is no evidence for a detected change in tornado activity to date due to greenhouse gas emission increases." Category:Tornadoes Category:Tornadoes of 2017